Ejectrion seat face curtain restraint system



1964 c. T. KOOCHEMBERE 3,

EJECTIQN SEAT FACE; CURTAIN RESTRAINT SYSTEM Filed Sept. 30, 1965 3Sheets-Sheet l I'NVENTOR. CHRIS T. KOOCHEMBE RE Nov. 24, 1964 c. T.KOOCHEMBERE 44.

EIJECTION SEAT FACE CURTAIN RESTRAINT SYSTEM Filed Sept. 30, 1963 3Sheets-$119M 2 I N VE NTOR.

cums T. xoocmzmxr-mra wkw/ 1964 c. T. KOOCHEMBERE Y 3,158,344 EJECTIONSEAT FACE CURTAIN RESTRAINT SYSTEM Filed Sept. 550, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet3 INVENTOR cums T. KOOCHEMBERE United States Patent 3,158,344 EJECTIONsear FACE cURTArN nnsrnAINT SYSTEM Chris T. Koochembere, Glendora, N.J.,assignor to the The invention described herein may be manufactured andused by or for the Government of the United States of Amercia forgovernmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon ortherefor.

This invention relates to aircraft ejection seats and particularly tothe face curtain for protecting the occupants head.

As an emergency escape, aircraft are equipped with seats which arecatapulted clear of the aircraft. As the seat moves upward and away fromthe aircraft, a small parachute, called a drogue, opens to stabilize theseat in its ejection flight. The drogue is then detached from the seatand pulls out the personnel parachute. In so doing the seat occupant isseparated from the seat and lowered to the surface.

The ejection operation is initiated by firing a seat ejection gunmounted at the back of the seat. The firing takes place normally, by theoccupant drawing a curtain down over his face for protection against theforce of the airstream, since there is a connection between the curtainand the ejection gun firing mechanism. The drogue parachute is releasedwith the firing of a drogue gun a short time after the seat is ejected.The drogue gun, the drogue parachute and the face curtain are allmounted near the upper portion of the seat.

Because of the violent force of ejection, there is a downward pull onthe arms of the occupant as he holds the face curtain over his head. Attimes it has been impossible for the seat occupant to maintain his gripon the face curtain. Consequently, it was pulled out of his hands andblown rearwardly over the back of the seat. Instances where thisoccurred before the drogue gun fired, because of the face curtainlength, it had fallen over the drogue parachute and drogue gun. Afterthe drogue gun fired, it penetrated the face curtain. Entanglement ofparachute lines and interference or a stopping of further steps in theejection operation resulted.

With this in mind it is an object of this invention to provideimprovement in ejection seat face curtains which will limit its rearwardmovement so as not to interfere in the sequence of operations and whichallows it detachment from the seat to permit an occupant to readilyleave the seat.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the followingdescription of the typical embodiment of the invention shown in theaccompanying drawing, where- FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an ejectionseat employing the invention;

FIG. 2 is a similar view showing the other side of the seat and with theface curtain withdrawn;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an upper portion of the seat showing theface curtain withdrawn and blown free;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the seat showing the face curtaindisconnected.

Referring tothe drawing, 10 indicates an ejection seat intended formountingin an aircraft, not shown. The seat has a horizontal, occupantsupporting bottom 12, from which a back 14 inclines upwardly andslightly rearwardly, and has sides 16 and 17. A pair of parallel,vertical extending guides or slippers, 18, are secured to the rearwardside of the seat back 14 which are slidably 3,158,344 Patented Nov. 24,1964 receivable in channels, not shown, fastened to the aircraft fordirecting the upward movement of the seat.

The seat It) is expelled from the aircraft by firing an ejection gun,20, located behind the seat. It has a piston 22 secured to the seat anda cylinder 24 secured to a fixed part of the aircraft. An explosivecharge in the ejection gun is detonated by withdrawing a pin 26 from afiring mechanism 28 by a pull on a cord or lanyard 30. The pressure ofthe resulting expanding gas from the detonation of the explosive chargepropells the ejection guns cylinder, with the seat, upwardly and out ofthe aircraft.

The personnel parachute, 32, is located on the forward side of the seatsback 14. Above that there is a head rest 34, which is under a forwardlyopening container 36 that houses the face curtain 38. Behind the facecurtain container there is an open top compartment 40 in which thedrogue parachute 42 (FIG. 4) is stored. This is a small parachute whichis releasably attached at an upper portion of its lift line 43, whichhas a link 44, to a shackle 46 secured to the back of the seat. Thedrogue parachute 42. opens shortly after the seat is ejected and orientsand stabilizes it. The end, 47, below the link 44, of drogue parachutelift line 43 is secured to the canopy of the personnel parachute 32 fordeploying the latter after the lift line 43 has been released from theshackle 46.

The drogue parachute 42 is deployed with ejection from a drogue gun 48of a piston Stl that is connected to its canopy by a line 52. The droguegun 48 is mounted on the left side, 17, of the seat near the top and isfired shortly after the seat has been ejected from the aircraft.Usually, a line 54 secured to a fixed part of the aircraft withdraws asear 56 from the drogue gun firing mechanism (not shown) with rise ofthe seat to discharge the drogue gun. Upon firing the drogue gun, itspiston 'is sent flying upward pulling the drogue, parachute 42,

out of its compartment, with it.

The shackle 46, which attaches the drogue parachute 42 to the seat, isopened automatically a short time after the seat is stabilized with thedrogue parachutes deployment by a timing mechanism 58 which is actuatedwith the withdrawal of a scar, not shown. A line 59 secured to a fixedpart of the aircraft and to the sear withdraws the latter with rise ofthe seat. The manner in which this is accomplished is not deemednecessary for understanding of this invention and will not be described.

The face curtain 38, which is generally a rectangular piece of fabric,in its non-operative position, is folded in the face curtain compartment36 with its forward end at the opening to the container 36, which isabove the seat of occupants head, not shown. Secured to the forward endof the facecurtain there is a rigid bar 60 carrying two bales or handles61 and 61 by which the face curtain may be withdrawn from its container.The ejection gun firing lanyard 30 is connected to the top of the facecurtain in a suitable manner as shown at 62 in FIG.

2. Its length is such that withdrawal of the face curtain 38 tensionsthelanyard sufiiciently to remove the ejection guns firing pin 26 asshown in FIG. 1, and fires the gun.

Secured, as by stitches, 63 FIG. 4, to each of the rear ward corners ofthe face curtain 38 there is a non-exten sible, flexible member or strap64. These extend substantially horizontally and rearwardly throughguides 66 secured to the sides of the face curtain container 36 forholding a withdrawn curtain, FIG. 2, to the seat. The free end of thestrap or rearward restraint 64 carries an apertured fitting, d8, FIG. 1,which is releasably secured by a pin 69 to an anchor or apertured lug 70mounted on the sides of the face curtain container 33 and/or the drogueparachute compartment 40 at the rearward end of the guide 66. Forremoval of the face curtain pins 69, there is a flexible line or cord72cm connects them with the drogue parachute lift line 43 at a pointintermediate of its connection with the shackle 4e and the top of thepersonnel parachute 32. When the drogue parachute lift line 43 isseparated from the shackle 46, it pulls out the personnel parachute 32and in so doing the pins 69 are withdrawn whereby the face curtain isdisconnected from the lugs iii.

A face curtain on an ejected seat that free, that is, one that is notheld at the handle by a seat occupant will be carried rearward by thewind blast. Because of its length, the face curtain will cover the topof the seat including the mechanism as the drogue gun 48 and the drogueparachute compartment 40. Should this occur before the drogue gun hasfired, the drogue piston 5t? will be propelled through the face curtain.The lines attached to the drogue parachute, as its lift line 43, becomeentangled and opening of the personnel parachute may not take place.

This is avoided by the provision of a downward restraint 74 attached tothe forward end of the face curtain 38 to limit its upward and rearwardmovement. The downward restraint 74 is a piece of non-extensible fabric,such as Dacron webbing, which has an apertured fitting '76, secured toeach end. It is disposed on the side opposite the drogue gun i=8 withits forward fitting, 76, secured by a nut '78 to the right end of theface curtain handle rod 61 on the forward end of the face curtain. Thedownward restraint 74 passes downward into the forward end of a guidetube so, about which it is trained and then rearwardly and upwardly tothe lug iii. The fitting on the rearward end of the restraint M isreleasab-ly secured by the pin 69 to lug 7%, together with the curtainsrearward restraint as which is on the same side of the seat. Removal ofthe face curtain pins as, as previously explained, will release not onlyboth rearward restraints 54 but also the downward restrain 74, so as tocompletely free the face curtain, as in FIG. 4.

Guide tube 8% is designed to follow the side contour of the ejectionseat. It extends from the lug 7t) downwardly and toward the front of theseat. its rearward end opens at a right angle to and over the lug 7%. Itextends outwardly, since the portion of the seat to which the lug 7th isattached is narrower than the portion housing the personnel parachute32, and then forwardly and downwardly at about a 45 angle. Its forwardend 82 is under the opening to the face curtain container 36 and itsedges are rolled so that the restraint 74 may be flexed about themwithout damage. The length of the downward restraint 74 is sufiicient toreach from lug iii to the face curtain container 36 opening whilepassing through the guide tube 8t) without any substantial slack,FIG. 1. So disposed, the downward restraint 74 causes no interferencewith the seat occupant whether the face curtain 38 is stored in itscontainer 36 or withdrawn.

When the face curtain 38 is free, that is, withdrawn but not held at thehandle 61 and still attached by the pins 69, the airstream will inflateit and carry it back, as in PEG. 3.

v The unrestrained forward corner of the face curtain 38 will turnover,FIG. 3, but the face curtain will not reach back far enough to cover anyof the mechanism, as the drogue gun 48 or the drogue parachute 42.

Although only one downward restraint 74 is shown, a similar one may beprovided for the other forward corner of the face curtain 38. However,from tests little additional advantage was found by such modification.

Even though only one embodiment of the invention has been shown anddescribed, many modifications within the scope of the appended claimsare contemplated.

What is claimed is:

1. In an aircraft ejection seat having sides, a parachute disposed onsaid seat having a lift line, a face curtain disposed in an upperportion of said seat adapted to be drawn downwardly over a seatoccupants head,

u (a) anchoring means secured to said upper portioncf said seat;

(c) an elongated flexible member secured at one end to a a forwardportion of said face curtain; means connected to said lift linereleasably securing the other ends of said strap and said elongatedflexible member to said anchoring means for releasing said endswitdeployment of said parachute;

(d) and means training said elongated flexible member downwardly andforwardly from said anchoring means on the side of said seat to saidforward portion of said face curtain.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said means training said elongatedflexible members is a guide tube secured to a side of said seat.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein said guide tube is directed downwardlyand forwardly at substantially a forty-five degree angle from saidanchoring means.

4. In an aircraft ejection seat having sides and provided with a drogueparachute disposed on the top thereof with its lift line releasablysecured to said seat and its end connected for deploying a personnelparachute upon release of said lift line from said seat;

(a) a face curtain stored in an upper portion of said seat adapted to bedrawn downwm'dly over a seat occupants head;

(b) a strap secured at one end to a rearward portion of said facecurtain;

(c) an anchor secured to the upper portion of said seat;

((1) a flexible, downward restraint secured at one end to a forwardportion of said face curtain;

(6) pin means securing the other ends of said strap and downwardrestraint to said anchor;

(f) means training said downward restrain downwardly and forwardly fromsaid anchor; and

(g) flexible means securing said pin means to said drogue parachute liftline intermediate its releasable connection to said seat and to saidpersonnel par- 7 achute.

5. In an aircraft ejection seat having sides and provided with :a drogueparachute disposed on the top thereof with its lift line releasablysecured to said seat and its end connected for deploying a personnelparachute upon release of the lift line from said seat;

(a) a forwardly opening container having sides secured at the upperportion of said scat;

(b) a face curtain disposed in said container adapted to be withdrawndownwardly to cover a seat oncupants head;

(c) a flexible strap secured at one end to a rearward portion of saidface curtain;

(d) an anchor secured to the side of said container;

(2) a guide tube secured to the side of said seat with one end nearsaid-anchor and its other end disposed forwardly thereof and under theopening of said container;

(7) a flexible member secured to a forward end of said face curtain andextending through said guide tube;

(g) a pin releasably securing the other end of said flexible strap andsaid flexible member to said anchor; and

(h) flexible means connecting said pin to said lift line intermediateits releasable connection and its end connecting it to the personnelparachute.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 75 FERGUS S.MIDDLETON, Primary Examiner.

1. IN AN AIRCRAFT EJECTION SEAT HAVING SIDES, A PARACHUTE DISPOSED ONSAID SEAT HAVING A LIFT LINE, A FACE CURTAIN DISPOSED IN AN UPPERPORTION OF SAID SEAT ADAPTED TO BE DRAWN DOWNWARDLY OVER A SEATOCCUPANT''S HEAD, (A) ANCHORING MEANS SECURED TO SAID UPPER PORTION OFSAID SEAT; (B) A STRAP CONNECTED AT ONE END TO A REARWARD PORTION OFSAID CURTAIN; (C) AN ELONGATED FLEXIBLE MEMBER SECURED AT ONE END TO AFORWARD PORTION OF SAID FACE CURTAIN; MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID LIFT LINERELEASABLY SECURING THE OTHER ENDS OF SAID STRAP AND SAID ELONGATEDFLEXIBLE MEMBER TO SAID ANCHORING MEANS FOR RELEASING SAID ENDS WITHDEPLOYMENT OF SAID PARACHUTE; (D) AND MEANS TRAINING SAID ELONGATEDFLEXIBLE MEMBER DOWNWARDLY AND FORWARDLY FROM SAID ANCHORING MEANS ONTHE SIDE OF SAID SEAT TO SAID FORWARD PORTION OF SAID FACE CURTAIN.